New Orleans
Public Library
Louisiana Division
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70140
504 596-2610
FAX 504 596-2609
(at right) Rex Parade, 1901, King's Float
Cornelius
Durkee Collection
The Louisiana Division traces its origins back to the Cabildo archives established by Spanish
Governor O'Reilly in 1770.
Still the official archives for the city of New Orleans, the Division also houses books,
periodicals, and special collections relating to the history of the Crescent City. Its newspaper indexes are likely to be
helpful for any research into local history.
The extensive Carnival Collection includes printed materials, krewe favors, and other memorabilia generated
by most of
the active and historical Carnival organizations from the 1860s to the 1990s. Of special note are the original float
designs for the Comus parades of 1912 and 1913, and a small collection of Zulu coconuts.
Several record groups in the City Archives Collection contain Carnival-related materials. In the records of the
Mayor's
Office are parade permits, correspondence dealing with the short-lived parade route change from Gallier Hall to the
new
City Hall, and files on the 1979 police strike that forced the cancellation of that year's Carnival. Among the records of
the City Council are all municipal ordinances affecting the annual festivities. Records of the various city
fiscal agencies
can be used to document topics such as the valuation of property owned by Carnival organizations and license fees paid
by early masked ball operators. Researchers can use the New Orleans Police Department arrest records
(1826-1966) to
investigate the types of behavior not tolerated by the local authorities. Carnival balls are well documented in the records
of the Municipal Auditorium Commission, which include the body's minutes, the building's rental calendars,
and
wonderful scrapbooks filled with ball invitations and programs, along with newspaper clippings describing the
festivities.
Non-archival manuscripts with Carnival materials include the Rex-related Albert E. Fossier Papers, dealing
with the
School of Design, the Blattman Papers, representing the Krewe of Omardz, and multi-krewe Schlosser
Papers. The
Friends of the Cabildo Oral History Collection includes several tapes that touch on Carnival topics.
The Book Collection contains histories of Mardi Gras, Carnival guide books, and social directories. Parade and
ball
images are included in the Photograph Collection and motion picture footage is available in the WVUE
News Film
Collection (1968-1980).